Reborn As A Squib In Harry potter

Harry POV

Harry had assumed it would be easy to find information on their target. Yet weeks would pass in vain, however, and Harry and his friends found bupkiss on Nicholas Flamel. The library was an impressive repository of knowledge, but it was poorly organized. No Dewey Decimal System, no standardized method of sorting, and quite a few books were handwritten, making it hard to read if the author had atrocious writing.

And while they researched Nicholas Flamel in secret, winter break snuck up on them.

"Don't worry, Hermione, we can keep searching when you get back," Harry consoled his bushy-haired friend. She was preparing to leave to catch the Hogwarts Express back to London to spend Christmas with her parents.

Hermione wasn't the only member of the group leaving, either. Neville, Susan, and Hannah were all heading home for the break.

"I suppose," she sighed heavily. She then shot Harry a concerned look. "Will you be fine on your own here over break?"

"I won't be alone, I'll have Ron with me," Harry replied. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him at that, and the Boy-Who-Lived snorted in amusement.

"Alright, but remember, you don't have to play chess with him every time he asks, alright?" Hermione reminded him.

"I'll keep that in mind," Harry said dryly. He then gave Hermione a hug which she returned, and she hurried off to the platform.

Behind her came Susan and Hannah, and he gave them farewell hugs as well.

"See ya, Harry," Susan said as she let go of Harry. "We're all an owl away!"

"I can't wait to see what you've gotten me as a Christmas gift, Harry," Hannah said with a teasing smile.

Susan smacked her friend's arm for that, but the blonde just grinned unrepentantly. Harry chuckled.

"You'll like it," he promised.

"I'll hold you to that!" she giggled.

"Sorry about her," Susan apologized as Hannah skipped off.

"Nah, it's fine. Her bluntness is refreshing," Harry assured her. "See you later, Susan. And don't worry, I got you a gift, too."

She blushed at that, and ran off after Hannah as her fellow Hufflepuff whistled at her.

The next one to say goodbye was Neville. As he and Neville were blokes, they said farewell by shaking hands, wishing each other a Merry Christmas.

And with that, Hogwarts felt a little bit emptier. Colder, too, though Harry was fairly certain that was due to the open door leading out of the castle.

He decided to warm up in the Gryffindor common room, and found Ron and his brothers already in there.

"Hermione says 'Hi,'" Harry said. "She also says 'Bye.' Neville, Susan, and Hannah also just left."

"Hmm? Oh, sorry I missed saying goodbye. But Scabbers wasn't feeling well," Ron said, holding up his pet rat. It did look under weather, shivering a bit in Ron's hands.

"Well, hopefully he gets better soon," Harry said.

"Harry!" Fred (or was it George?) said, wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulder. "We happened to hear-"

"-from sources who shall remain anonymous-" continued George (or maybe Fred?) who got onto Harry's other side.

"-that a certain Puff was sad to see you go," the other twin finished.

"Yes?" he said, an eyebrow raised. "That is what happened."

The twins shared a look and a grin, then said "Nothing!" simultaneously before walking off, laughing to themselves.

"What was that about?" Harry asked Ron.

"Dunno. I try not to understand my brothers, lest I go mad," Ron replied with a shrug.

"Huh," Harry hummed. "Well, I need to go wrap some presents. I'll be in the dorm. No peeking!"

"I won't," Ron promised.

Harry hurried up to his dorm, and got out the presents he'd bought for his friends. He had wrapping paper and tape – provided by a helpful House Elf – and quickly wrapped up the gifts for his friends.

A giddy feeling ran through Harry's chest, and a smile crept unbidden onto his face. He couldn't help it. Thinking about his friends, and realizing he actually had some after so long, still managed to make his happy, even after all this time.

'Sometimes I'm afraid I will wake up, and this will all have been a beautiful, fleeting dream,' Harry thought to himself as he hid the wrapped presents away under his bed.

Once he was finished, he walked back to the common room, and sat down across from Ron.

"Want to play a game of chess?" Harry offered, and Ron lit up eagerly.

After everyone left for winter break, the castle felt empty. The corridors echoed ominously, and the crinkle-crackle of ice could be heard from every window. And Harry wasn't sure if it was Hogwarts playing a trick on people, or if maybe his imagination was acting up, but he could have sworn that the moving staircases were taking him to a certain area of the Third Floor more often than not.

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